Major retrofit of Canada’s Kitchener Auditorium done while building remained open

A $12 million retrofit and expansion of the Kitchener Auditorium in Ontario, Canada, posed several challenges for builder Ball Construction, in part because the building remained in use during work. The structural steel addition, for example, was erected over the existing building. Bringing down the old roof had to wait until the new roof was weather-tight, and the demo job required cranes too big to be inside the building. This required cutting holes in the new roof large enough for crane cables to get through to access the old roof, allowing the crane to lower the old roofing material to the floor.

Drew Ballensky is general manager of Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.’s central U.S. facility in Iowa and company spokesman for Duro-Last’s cool roofing, sustainability and architectural education programs. He is past-president of the Chemical Fabrics and Film Association and chairman of CFFA’s Vinyl Roofing Division. Drew earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Northern Iowa and master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University.
Drew has over 29 years experience in business and industry in various engineering and managerial capacities. He has worked in the U.S. and Canadian operations for a major international manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings, was a financial analyst with a major athletic apparel manufacturer and was an owner of a general contracting company.